Richard Carrington

"As Gibson stated, “behavior affords behavior” (Gibson, 1979, p. 135), meaning that how other individuals are moving in an environment will channel the opportunities for all others to behave and perform. Therefore, if opponents are not present in practice environments, as is the case in many traditionally prescribed training drills, athletes will not have the opportunity to perceive and act upon the behaviors of other living, breathing individuals who are also concurrently carrying out movements in dynamic fashions. Thus, whenever possible, it is vital that opposition is present in practice activities to maintain high levels of aliveness, so athletes are able to become more attuned, intentional, and adaptable."

The key to consistency in performance isn’t repetition—it’s adaptability. When conditions change, the ability to adjust ensures task success.

“Picks and Minnows” Our take on a camp favorite, sharks and minnows, that we’ve been experimenting with to gamify working on setting better picks. The Rules: 🥍1 shark (defender), 1 minnow (dodger), 2-3 “seaweed” (they are the pickers). 🦀Seaweed is only allowed to slide or “crab walk” to set picks 🐠Minnow has 15 seconds to score 🐠Minnow needs to get the shark tangled in seaweed (execute a successful pick) 3x before shooting. We are continuing to tweak and play with the rules. What do you think?

The Constraints-Led Approach isn’t about letting players figure it out randomly. It’s about shaping environments where they can explore, adapt, and develop real skills.